Giacomo Meyerbeer
German opera composer who defined grand opera in nineteenth-century Paris.
Giacomo Meyerbeer, born Jacob Liebmann Beer on 5 September 1791 near Berlin, was a German opera composer whose work bridged the gap between Mozart and Richard Wagner. He is best known for defining the genre of grand opera, starting with his 1831 work *Robert le diable*. Meyerbeer’s style combined the weight of German orchestration with the fluidity of Italian vocal writing, all set to the sensational, melodramatic librettos of Eugène Scribe. These operas were further boosted by the cutting-edge stage technology of the Paris Opéra, cementing Paris as the nineteenth-century capital of opera.
Meyerbeer came from a wealthy Jewish family. His father, Judah Herz Beer, was a financier and leader of Berlin’s Jewish community, while his mother, Amalia Wulff, was also from the moneyed elite. His siblings included the astronomer Wilhelm Beer and the poet Michael Beer. He began his musical career as a pianist, making his public debut in 1801 playing Mozart’s D minor Piano Concerto. He studied with Antonio Salieri and Carl Friedrich Zelter, and later with the Abbé Vogler in Darmstadt from 1810 to 1812, where he befriended Carl Maria von Weber. There, he co-founded the Harmonischer Verein, a mutual support network for favorable press and networking.
After deciding to focus on opera, Meyerbeer spent several years in Italy studying and composing. His 1824 opera *Il crociato in Egitto* earned him a Europe-wide reputation, but it was *Robert le diable* (1831) that made him a celebrity. His peak works include *Les Huguenots* (1836) and *Le prophète* (1849); his final opera, *L’Africaine*, premiered after his death. During his lifetime, his operas were the most frequently performed at leading opera houses worldwide. The composer Hector Berlioz summarized Meyerbeer’s career by saying he “has not only the luck to be talented, but the talent to be lucky.”
Alongside his Parisian triumphs, Meyerbeer held influential roles in Berlin and Germany. He served as Prussian Court Kapellmeister from 1832 and became Prussian General Music Director in 1843. He supported Richard Wagner early on, helping to produce Wagner’s opera *Rienzi*. In 1844, he wrote the patriotic opera *Ein Feldlager in Schlesien* for the reopening of the Berlin Royal Opera House, and also composed music for Prussian state occasions.
Apart from about 50 songs, Meyerbeer wrote almost exclusively for the stage. After his death on 2 May 1864, critical attacks from Wagner and his followers caused his popularity to decline. The Nazi regime later suppressed his operas in Germany, and they were largely neglected throughout the twentieth century. However, in the 21st century, his major French grand operas have begun to reappear in the repertoires of many European opera houses.
- born
- 5 September 1791
- died
- 2 May 1864
- field
- Opera composer
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- Grand opera; *Robert le diable*, *Les Huguenots*, *Le prophète*
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Meyerbeer was born to a wealthy Jewish family in Tasdorf, near Berlin. His father was the wealthy financier Judah Herz Beer and his mother, Amalia (Malka) Wulff, also came from the moneyed elite. He began his musical career as a pianist, making his public debut in 1801 playing Mozart's D minor Piano Concerto in Berlin. The *Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung* reported: 'The amazing keyboard playing of young Bär (a Jewish lad of 9), who carried off the difficult passages and other solo parts with aplomb, and has fine powers of rendition even more rarely found in one of his age, made the concert even more interesting.' He studied with Antonio Salieri and Carl Friedrich Zelter, and later with the Abbé Vogler at Darmstadt between 1810 and 1812, where he formed a close friendship with Carl Maria von Weber and other pupils, establishing the Harmonischer Verein (Musical Union) to support each other with favorable press criticism and networking. On 12 February 1813 he was appointed 'Court Composer' by Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt. He played timpani at the premiere of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony in December 1813, though Beethoven complained that Meyerbeer was 'always behind the beat.'
Reader's Guide
Meyerbeer's significance lies in his creation of the grand opera style that dominated Parisian stages. After early operas in Germany failed, he went to Italy in 1816, enabled by his family's financial support, to study Italian opera. There he became impressed by Gioachino Rossini and wrote a series of Italian operas on Rossinian models, including *Romilda e Costanza* (Padua, 1817), *Semiramide riconosciuta* (Turin, 1819), *Emma di Resburgo* (Venice, 1819), *Margherita d'Anjou* (Milan, 1820), and *L'esule di Granata* (Milan, 1821). His 1824 opera *Il crociato in Egitto* first brought him a Europe-wide reputation; it was the last opera ever written to feature a castrato. But it was *Robert le diable* (1831) which raised his status to great celebrity. He was at his peak with *Les Huguenots* (1836) and *Le prophète* (1849); his last opera, *L'Africaine*, was performed posthumously. His operas made him the most frequently performed composer at the world's leading opera houses in the nineteenth century. After his death, critical assaults by Richard Wagner and his supporters led to a decline in popularity; his operas were suppressed by the Nazi regime in Germany and neglected through most of the twentieth century. In the 21st century, his major French grand operas have begun to reappear in the repertory of numerous European opera houses.
Did You Know?
- Meyerbeer's birth name was Jacob Liebmann Beer; he adopted the surname Meyerbeer on the death of his grandfather Liepmann Meyer Wulff in 1812 and Italianized his first name to Giacomo during his period of study in Italy, around 1817.
- He played timpani at the premiere of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony in December 1813; Beethoven complained that Meyerbeer was 'always behind the beat.'
- During a visit to Sicily in 1816, Meyerbeer noted down a number of folksongs, constituting the earliest collection of folk music of the region.
- His 1824 opera *Il crociato in Egitto* was the last opera ever written to feature a castrato.
- Meyerbeer was an early supporter of Richard Wagner, enabling the first production of Wagner's opera *Rienzi*.
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